A Lesson In Howlers
by LooneyLovey
Summary: What happens when Professor McGonagall tries to teach the Slytherin/Gryffindor Transfiguration class about Howlers? Set in the Golden Trio's third year. Prompt fic for Hogwarts Online.
1. The Red Envelope

**Soo this is my attempt at the word prompt for Howler on 'Professor Flitwick's Prompt of the Day' on Hogwarts Online. Hope you enjoy it :) **

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. Tis a shame really, it all belongs to JK Rowling.

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Professor McGonagall stood in front of her third year transfiguration class with a red envelop in resting her hands.

"Today class we are going to be learning about the complex magic behind Howlers, now can anyone tell me anything about them?"

As per usual Hermione Granger's hand was the first in the air but, what was strange that Ron Weasley also had his hand up.

"Mr Weasley do you know anything about Howlers?" Professor McGonagall asked, shocked that a student other than Hermione was volunteering information in her class.

"I'll bet he knows a fair bit about them," Draco Malfoy sniggered not so quietly.

"What was that Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall asked, a stern expression on her face.

"Umm, nothing Professor," he said, smirking.

"Are you sure Mr. Malfoy?" her tone holding no room for any 'funny business'.

"Yes Professor," Draco said, his earlier smirk having been replaced with tight smile.

"Very well then. As I was saying, Mr Weasley, what can you tell me about Howlers?"

"Well I know they can be very loud and when a person opens it the senders voice is magically magnified so it can be heard by everyone around the receiver. Also, when the Howler has finished it's message it usually destroys itself, and if it isn't opened it time then it explodes and shouts the message louder than normal."

As she got older Minerva McGonagall found that not many things could shock her any more but, this was one of the things that still could. The boy had given her an answer which was something akin to Miss Granger's, she knew of course of the Howler incident in his Second Year but she had assumed he had forgotten about the specifics. She loved Molly and Arthur dearly but Ron Weasley wasn't the brightest of the bunch when it came to Transfiguration and Charms, but perhaps she wasn't giving the boy enough credit where it was due.

"Professor, are you okay?" Hermione Granger asked, rousing her from her inner musings.

"Yes dear I'm fine, 10 points to Gryffindor Mr Weasley for that answer." She looked at Mr. Weasley and saw Mr. Potter clapping him on the back. Good for him she thought, the boy deserved some form of praise.

When it came to the practical portion of the lesson she had decided to let the class make a Howler, then she would allow one student to test theirs to see if anything had been learnt. This was purely for her own entertainment though, after so many years of teaching the same thing in Transfiguration the lessons because arduous and dull, and she had decided last night she needed to, 'spice things up'.

"Mr Weasley," she said, her Scottish accent becoming more pronounced as her excitement grew. "Since you gave us such a splendid explanation for what a Howler is, let's see what you've managed to do shall we?"

"Umm, yes Professor?" he said, smiling at Harry for reasons unknown.

"Who is your Howler for boy?" she asked, already knowing the answer and the reason why he was smiling.

"Draco Malfoy," he said, a smirk replacing the smile on his face.

"Very well then, when your ready," she said, while fighting to keep a smile off her own face. It wasn't proper for a teacher to take pleasure in another's discomfort even though that was what she had designed this lesson for. Very hypocritical of her, but at the moment she couldn't really care less.

As Ron got up to give Draco the Howler, Minerva could have sworn she saw Malfoy blanch. But, that was impossible she thought, Malfoy's didn't blanch. She shook her head to clear herself of the thought and watch the Howler start to hiss as soon as Ron had sat back in his chair. Draco tentatively opened the Howler with trembling hands and Ron's voice reverberated around the classroom.

"Draco Malfoy, what can I say? You are, with out a doubt one one of the most egotistical, vain, self-absorbed, pompous arses that I have had the displeasure of meeting. But... I love you! I really do Draco, and I know for a fact that Hermione wants to have your babies-"

Before the Howler could yell anything more, little bits of red and white parchment littered Draco Malfoy's desk. He held his wand in his hand and he barely moved, except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. Draco had blown the Howler to smithereens.

The class went into shock, they weren't sure if what they had just heard was real or not. Then, as if waiting for a cue – in this case it was the smirk that Minerva McGonagall could barley contain – the class burst out laughing.

"Mr Weasley," Professor McGonagall started once she had managed to get the class to settle down. "What an... interesting Howler. 5 points to Gryffindor for creativity," she said, the odd chuckle still escaping her lips.

After that, the rest of the class passed without any more amusing interruptions. Professor McGonagall asked a set questions and Hermione Granger answered all them, flawlessly of course. She really did love the girl and her enthusiasm for knowledge surpassed anyone else's in the class, but she wished that someone else would volunteer an answer occasionally, someone like Potter or Weasley... or even Draco Malfoy.

When class had finished Professor McGonagall asked Mr Weasley to stay behind, once he had grudgingly made his way up to her desk she asked him to sit down.

"Mr Weasley," she began, "you do realise that from now on I expect you to answer more questions in class with as much detail as you did today."

"Umm yes Professor. Truth is I only know that stuff because it happened to me," he said, thinking on his feet, "otherwise I wouldn't have been able to answer any of that stuff."

"That's how some people learn Ron, and that is why I always have a practical portion to my class. It is a shame that we can't repeat that particular practical though," she said, smiling ruefully.

"Ah, I see Professor," he said, not really understanding at all.

"Just try Ron, that's all I ask. Make your mother proud."

"Yes Professor...," he said, getting uncomfortable at being praised by a teacher. Normally they told him off for falling asleep in class. "May I go now because otherwise I'm going to loose all the potions I earned today by turning up late to Professor Snape's lesson."

"Of course," she said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

Once he left the confines of the classroom he met up with Harry and Hermione, "Did you see old McGonagall? I thought she was going to pass out from shock when I answered the question correctly. Thanks Hermione, I'll have to do it more often."

"That's what friends are for Ron," she said, busy rummaging around in her bag for her potions essay.

"What they for? Copying answers from?" Ron asked.

"Well, I guess so in your case," she replied with a slight chuckle.

"Common guys," Harry said, interrupting their banter, "otherwise we'll be late for the Greasy Git's lesson and I can't afford to get another detention from him this year."

"But Harry, we've only just come back," Hermione said, confusion marring her features.

"That's what I mean Hermione," he grumbled, breaking into a run leaving Ron and Hermione lagging behind.

"Last one there sets off their Howler in Snape's lesson!" Harry yelled, disappearing around the corner.

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**Tell me what you think? :) **


	2. The Realist

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. Tis a shame really, it all belongs to JK Rowling.

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Even though Harry had a head start, it was Hermione who got there first. She smiled smugly at the two boys when they walked through the door to the Potions classroom with the rest of the class.

"Wha- how?" Harry asked, mindful of the fact that potions was about to start and Professor Snape had not yet arrived.

"A woman never tells her secrets Harry, you should know that by now," Hermione said, smirking slightly. "Oh and Harry?" she said sweetly, while setting out her quill and a few blank pieces of parchment so she could take notes during the lesson.

"Yes Hermione?" Harry replied, caution colouring his voice.

"Since Ron opened his Howler in Transfiguration I think it only fair that you open yours in Potions," she said brightly.

"What!" he exclaimed, "how is that fair? I got here before Ron, make him do something," he hissed petulantly.

"All's fair in love and war Harry," she said, smiling at his expression. His mouth was half open, half closed and she had no doubt that had Professor Snape not walked in at that moment, a few Wizard Swears might have left his mouth.

"Today," Professor Snape began once the class had settled down, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes, "we are going to have a full theory lesson on the proper practices of potion ingredient preparation. There will be no need to talk as everything you need to know is on page 394. I expect at least three pages of parchment to be filled with notes which will be given in at the end of the lesson. You may begin."

A few members of the class – Harry and Ron included – started to grumble at the thought of spending two hours writing notes, but they soon quietened down when Professor Snape glared at them.

About half way into the lesson Hermione passed a piece of torn parchment to Harry. It read: _Harry, if you don't open your Howler I will hit you with a Stinging Hex so bad that you wont be able to sit down for a week. _While he knew Hermione got what Hermione wanted, she couldn't possibly be serious? Could she? He flipped the parchment over and scribbled his answer back: _Hermione, are you out of your mind? Snape will kill me if I do!_ He could hear her huff beside him and he knew she had read it, he thought she was going to drop it until she passed him another bit of hastily torn parchment. _Do it Harry, or would you like me to make good on my threat? _She was being serious then. Hermione Granger, goody two shoes wanted him to get in trouble. What was wrong with her?And as if seeing the expression on his face, she passed him another bit of parchment. Y_ou would make me, _were the only words on it.

Harry felt the guilt shroud him like a cloak he didn't want to wear, between himself and Ron they would, they would tease her until she gave in and did what they wanted her to do. That was what they usually did and it pained him to say that he had never realised how much it bothered her until now, until he was in the situation she was normally in.

Without attracting too much attention to himself he pulled the red envelop out of his bag and placed it on his lap. Steeling himself against the nerves he felt – he had no right to feel them if this was what Hermione had gone through many a time before now – he placed it on the desk and broke the wax seal. Effectively sealing his fate to serve gruelling detentions with Snape until he left school.

"Whay, Howler time!" It boomed, "shout out to all my fellow Gryffindor peeps, every single one of you rule, and of course, Slytherin's drool! While I'm at it I would like to thank Professor Snape for-"

As the Howler continued yell, Harry James Potter sank further and further under his desk, until you couldn't see a hair on his head. His next feat would have been to sink into the floor had Hermione not pulled him back up by the scruff of his neck.

No one dared to laugh at the Howler or it's contests, not even the Slytherin's. That alone should have given some indication to the Boy Who Lived just how much trouble he was in.

"-making me fear bats and hair grease. I will never think of them without thinking of you first. And, on that note, this is Harry Potter signing off for The Realist. Thanks for listening."

As soon as the Howler had finished combusting Professor Snape stalked up to the boy wonder and looked him in the eye, "Do you think it funny boy? Setting of a Howler in the middle of the lesson. Tell me Potter, do you like going outside?"

The Boy Who Lived cowered under the Professor's glare, not daring to look away from his piercing gaze for fear he might anger him further.

"Y-yes Sir," he stuttered.

"Do you think you can remember what the sky looks like?" the Professor hissed.

"Y-y-yes Sir," his stutter becoming worse as he thought of the many places Snape could dump his body and get away with it.

"Then I suggest you try your hardest to remember that mental picture because it's the closest you're going to get to the real thing in a long, long time," his voice was barely more than a whisper but loud enough to capture Harry's full attention. "Fifty points from Gryffindor," he added as an afterthought.

He turned around and addressed the rest of the class who had stood silently watching the altercation unfold before their eyes, "your homework is to complete the work set today plus three extra pieces of parchment. Class dismissed, I want everyone out..." and when no one moved to start packing up their belongings he opened his mouth once more, "NOW!" he roared. They fled fled the room like rats fled a sinking ship.

Had anyone lingered behind they would have seen the Potions Professor pinch the bridge of his nose, and mutter something which sounded suspiciously like 'Minerva McGonagall will pay'. But as it was, no one was around, they had all fled to the safety of their common rooms.

_~Later on in the Staff Room~_

"Minerva, you wouldn't happen to know why Harry Potter set off a Howler in my lesson today would you?" Severus asked his colleague, already knowing the answer but curious nonetheless.

News travelled fast around the castle, and even faster through the many gossiping teachers on staff. Severus could guarantee that even if she hadn't had anything to do with it, she would be familiar with every detail of the event by now.

"No Severus, I wouldn't," she said, fighting back a smile. Sometimes it was better to let the students take the blame for things, even if that student was Harry Potter. Minerva had been on Severus' bad side once, and it wasn't something she wanted a repeat performance of.

"Really," he said, feigning shock, "that is a surprise, since a little birdie told me that you were teaching your students the magic behind the Howler today. Good day," he said, while getting up and leaving the Staff Room, a smirk fixed upon his face.

"Well I never," Professor McGonagall muttered unhappily once he had vanished, "he really does know everything."

~ Fini

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**So, there we go. Part two finished :) **

**Hope you enjoyed reading it as I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. Leave a review and tell me what you think of the story, cookies for those that do :) **


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